Cable operator Wide Open West took their shot at the Comcast hearings this week by claiming that the merger would restrict their ability to upgrade their own network. How exactly is that even possible? According to WOW CEO Colleen Abdullah, Comcast is already using its market power to prohibit deals with broadcasters that would allow them to offer TV Anywhere Internet video services (though it's not clear TV Anywhere really matters in the face of Internet video, given its brute force approach to forcing the traditional model online). Though Abdullah also notes a freshly merged NBC/Comcast would likely force rivals to pay exorbitant retransmission consent fees.